


A Good King

by Songbird90



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 07:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songbird90/pseuds/Songbird90
Summary: The Archdemon must be slain, and Alistair is determined to make the killing blow as his last and greatest act as King of Ferelden.





	

Pain. Alistair felt a throbbing pain and the trickle of warm blood seeping from his right temple. He forced his eyes open. The sky was strangely calm, and his surroundings eerily quiet.

He sat up, holding his aching head. He had to bury his face in his arms to anchor himself as the world around him began to spin. His mind grasped at small flashes of memory in the dark, trying to piece together the moments leading up to his current state... 

He remembers a battlefield, and a force, like a blast of heat, knocking him to the ground. He tried to get to his feet but he felt a firm hand press against his chest. Carol Brosca was kneeling over him. His best friend and fearless fellow warden, Carol. A sheen of sweat and grime covered her face and there was a tightness to her jaw that betrayed her exhaustion, but her eyes were steel.

‘Alistair, are you hurt?’

‘I’m fine,’ Alistair began, trying again to rise. He looked up, seeing the gargantuan figure of the Archdemon shrieking and flailing in the distance, looking to be in its death throes.

‘What are you doing?' He choked at Carol. 'Now's our chance! I need to go kill the Archdemon!'

Carol pushed him back down. The faintest shade of anguish coloured her face. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

‘Be a good King, Alistair.’

Before Alistair could process these words, Carol drew back her gauntlet-clad fist. She struck him across the face with a heavy blow and the world went dark.

Alistair snapped his eyes open. His surroundings were violently thrust into focus as the memories came flooding back. He scrambled to his feet. 

‘CAROL!’

He ran, tripping over bodies and debris, searching desperately for the burly dwarf. The hulking body of the Archdemon rose before him. Completely still, broadsword jammed into its skull.

‘No,’ Alistair breathed. He bolted over to the beast, scanning the wreckage.

Then he saw her. Her small form lay a few feet from the dragon, coated in demon blood.

Alistair felt his breath catch in his throat. He dropped to his knees beside her, face falling to a grave slate. There was no mistaking what had happened, but he couldn’t help but tilt her face up towards him, searching for any signs of life.

There were none.

Alistair choked out a sob and hugged the dwarf to his chest. He cried into her blood-spattered locks of hair, tears creating crimson strands through blonde locks. His friend had disappeared and only this empty shell remained. He wanted to shake her open, pour the light inside, see her eyes flash wide and get punched in the arm for being so foolish.

Alistair began to shake and rock in place. It should have been him. He had decided not to take part in Morrigan's ritual because he wanted to spare any child of his the troubles he faced as a royal's bastard. She respected his wishes and she had promised him, promised Leliana, that if it came to it she would let him make the killing blow. She promised.

It was a long time before Alistair sat back, taking in a deep breath. He looked down at Carol, and for the first time he noticed a small sheaf of paper sticking out from under her breastplate. Alistair sniffed and wiped his eyes, gently plucking the page out from the heavy armour and unfolding it. Fresh tears began to flow as he read the words.

_Leliana, I am sorry. I will meet you in the stars one day, my love._

...

Alistair carried Carol’s body to the foot of the tower. He felt he could barely stand with the weight of his grief, but he pressed on. From a distance it looked as though he were nursing a sleeping child in his arms. He held her tight, her forehead tucked gently under his chin.

He watched the ground as he walked. He knew that he had eventually reached his companions but couldn’t bring himself to watch as they, one by one, realised what he was carrying.

He felt Carol’s body being ripped from his grasp. Leliana collapsed to the ground, clutching Carol’s lifeless form and violently sobbing. After a moment Alistair placed a gentle hand on her back.

‘I’m so sorry Leliana, she wouldn’t let me...’ He trailed off hopelessly, handing her the letter. ‘She wanted you to have this.’

Leliana took the letter from his outstretched hand. He turned and walked away before she unfolded the parchment. He couldn’t bear to see her reaction.

Alistair drifted away from the group. The surrounding battlefield was a haze of smoke, rushing bodies and cheers of victory. Despite the frenzied activity around him Alistair could feel nothing but cold emptiness.

He was expected to rule these people from now on. They were his Kingdom. The crowd seemed to billow around him like a turbulent sea, tossing waves threatening to drag him into the depths. He stood still and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself against the ferocious tide. 

'Be a good King, Alistair.' Carol's words echoed in his mind. Alistair took a deep breath. 'I will,' he thought, 'I promise.'

**Author's Note:**

> Confession: I've never actually played Origins, but I've watched a lot of it on YouTube because I needed to decide a) my favourite Origin (Dwarf Commoner - your best friend is the voice of Varric and you get to have a showdown in a muthafukn gladiator arena, also the whole "casteless" thing tore my guts up with feels), and b) my favourite romance (Leliana - all the beautiful words about eternal love just killed me, I live for that shit).
> 
> -This story was inspired by this video: https://youtu.be/yQZ2elmFnQo which I must have watched 50 times and I cried Every. Single. Time.
> 
> -My Warden is called Carol because Carol means "a religious folk song or popular hymn" which perfectly suits Leliana and I AM A HOPELESS ROMANTIC OK, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A WEIRD NAME FOR A DWARF.
> 
> -Alistair is a beautiful soul and I want to be his best friend


End file.
